Only at Nemacolin can you zip-line 3000 feet in the air and then shoot a shotgun all before dinner
Our Nemacolin trip continues with day 2. We had a fun-filled itinerary scheduled for us highlight a lot of the outdoor activities Nemacolin has to offer. We started our day off right with breakfast in bed ordered through room service. Each property has a different menu for their room service offerings and in The Chateau, the menu has a little something for everyone. We opted for something sweet and something savory and ordered the Avocado Tartin and the cinnamon-apple French toast with a seasonal fruit plate on the side. The avocado tartin came with smashed avocado, roasted tomatoes, radishes, applewood-smoked bacon, two poached eggs, olive oil, country bread, and espelette. This was made in the form of a deluxe avocado toast which was the perfect vessel to enjoy it through. The dish itself was delicious and hit the savory spot we needed. The eggs were perfectly poached and runny when broken into, the bacon crisp, and the avocado was fresh and perfectly seasoned which led to a perfect bite each time. The French toast was made with challah bread, chai nutmeg batter, spiced anglaise, cinnamon apple compote, brown butter toasted pecans, and fresh whipped cream. The toast was so fluffy and moist and absorbed so much flavor from the compote and batter. Each bite felt like biting into a pillow that was spiced with cinnamon and topped with caramelized apples for an extra fruity kick to it. The seasonal berry plate was fresh and full of some of the best raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew available.
Once we finished breakfast, we headed to the lobby for the Canopy Tour experience offered at Nemacolin. What makes Nemacolin even better is that the hotel provides complimentary shuttles around the property so no ubering is ever necessary. We were shuttled to The Peak where we were weighed and measured for the harnesses needed for the experience. Once we were fitted, we walked outside and met the workers at the start of the zip-lining portion of the tour. There are two zip lines back to back, the first being 3000 feet and the second being 1800 feet of distance. Once hooked, all you have to do is relax and enjoy the gorgeous view as you speed down the zip line. This was our first time zip-lining so we didn’t know what to expect. The first leg of the line was incredible, yet somewhat scary at the same time. We ran through the zipline in what felt like seconds, going at a speed that felt like 100 mph. The view was incredible as you can see down the line across the many fields and wooded areas. The adrenaline kicked in towards the middle of the first leg and that was when the panic left and the excitement kicked in. The second leg was a bit shorter, but once you know what to expect, you can hang back and relax while enjoying the view on the way to the ground.
Once we reached the bottom, we were taken back up the hill via golf cart where we then prepared for the ropes course. The ropes course is a one-of-a-kind experience where you can climb through trees 40’ off the ground, navigating through some of the trickiest obstacles you can face. You start off with a net that you climb through to get to the elevated surface. And each obstacle after that gets trickier as you climb higher and higher into the air. Some of the courses included climbing across a hanging rope, navigating across wooden boards that swing with each step, and walking across a suspended wooden log to get to the end. The trickiest ones were the tire swings that you had to walk across one by one while they are swinging in the air. The adrenaline you get after completing each portion is second to none. We felt this amazing rush each time and experiencing this with our little group was a bonding experience like no other. At the end of the course we get to zip-line down to the ground which was the perfect way to end the course.
Up next was a pool-side lunch at The Peak. It is worth mentioning that at The Peak, there is a huge year-round pool and hot tub with cabana service. And what we found out is that the pool is also heated to ~84 degrees at all times so guests can dip their toes and soak no matter the weather.
For lunch we opted for the fish tacos which were made with cajun grouper, pineapple mango slaw, avocado, and chipotle aioli served on top of a flour tortilla. The fresh was fresh and lightly fried where it was light and airy while maintaining a lot of moisture. The pineapple mango slaw added a beautiful brightness and acidity which helped cut through some of the fattiness of the avocado. The chipotle aioli added a subtle heat but not enough to overpower the entire dish. We definitely recommend getting the fish tacos here – you won’t regret it!
After lunch we got to check out some of the other amenities at The Peak. One thing we were really impressed by was that there was an entire section where guests could bowl or do axe throwing. This room was covered in neon and the blacklight lighting accentuated the neon even more. This is definitely the activity to do if you came to Nemacolin with a group of friends.
Our next activity in the day was a fun one, clay shooting at the Nemacolin Field Club. You might be familiar with the activity where someone yells ‘pull’ and then shoots flying disks with a gun. This was exactly that activity and the gun they provided was a loaded shotgun. This was our first time shooting a shotgun, or a gun in general, so we were a little nervous. However, the workers at The Field Club where extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They taught us the proper way to hold the gun, how to aim, and gun safety while shooting. There were even times where they helped do practice shots or guided us while we were shooting to make the experience even more enjoyable. There were a few courses we got to try out where the disks flew in different directions and landed differently each time. The amount of variety that the clay shooting experience has is great and it’s something where you can have a different experience each time you go. One of our favorites was the course with a rabbit in it. This is when a disk is shot and it treads very close to the ground (and sometimes bounces off the ground), and is notably one of the hardest things to shoot too. It was one of the best experiences we had at Nemocolin and is definitely something to be enjoyed by first time shooters and experienced shooters alike.
At The Field Club, guests can also partake in archery. There are a variety of bows to choose from, each having a different weight and feel to it. You can practice shooting arrows at a traditional target or take a chance and shoot a human dummy that they made to look like a zombie. This definitely helped us understand who would survive a zombie apocalypse. And spoiler alert, we would definitely be one of the first people to go.
We then made our way to a private dining space for dinner. A huge table was set out decorated with flowers and other foliage. A full bar was staffed and we could enjoy a variety of cocktails or partake in some wine. A buffet was provided and some of our favorites were the quail, the potato gratin, and the glazed steak. And the desserts were definitely something to mention. Our favorite was this mini strawberry shortcake dessert that was light and fluffy but had such strong strawberry flavor to it.
Once dinner was done, we shuttled back to The Chateau and got ready for a nightcap at the Cigar Bar. There are two ways to enter the Cigar Bar, either through the main entrance located near Rockwell’s, or through the cigar shop (we prefer the cigar shop so we could look at the variety being sold). We were later told that the owner of Nemacolin, Mr. Hardy, would always be found with a cigar in hand. And so he wanted to offer guests the opportunity to experience the same joy he got from cigars. And only at Nemacolin’s Cigar Bar can you find cigars priced from $14 all the way to $1500 a cigar. There are even vintage Cuban cigars being sold there that were acquired prior to the embargo with Cuba. The Cigar Bar itself is an intimate bar styled with premium leather chairs and surrounded by wooden furnishings. There is a fully stocked bar that can make most drinks you can think of too making it the perfect nightcap location at The Chateau. We stopped by for a few drinks where we chatted with other guests at Nemacolin.
After an hour or so we decided to call it a night which wraps up Nemacolin Day 2.
